Multiethnic Australia: Its History and Future
McFarland Co., Publishers
Jefferson, North Carolina and London, 2006

After once trying to keep its population white and predominantly British, Australia changed course. Since 1947 it has absorbed five million immigrants and refugees from some 240 countries and ethnic groups around the globe. The country developed a multicultural policy that encourages immigrants, along with Indigenous peoples and other citizens, to retain their traditional cultures while also being loyal Australians.

This book examines past and present to show why the country’s policies changed, the conflicts this created and the benefits it brought. The final chapters about recent decades describe the country’s growing ties with Asia, especially China and nearby Asia Pacific nations. Multiethnic Australia  combines social, cultural and political material to give a rounded portrait of the nation. There are two chapters on the Indigenous peoples.